Detachable rubber heel.



F. A. NOLAN.

DETAGHABLE RUBBER HEEL.

APPLICATION rum) FEB-13,1911.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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[av/M41?? 1 .11. NOLAN. DETAGHABLE RUBBER HEEL.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 13, 1911..

' 2 SHEETFBHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 8,1911.

' To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- FRANCIS A. NOLAN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

DETACHABLE RUBBER HEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 13, 1911.

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. NOLAN, a

citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in thecounty of Ramsey Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Rubber Heels, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to improvements in detachable rubber heels for boots and shoes, its object being to provide an improved rubber heel and heel-fastening device, whereby the heel can be easily and conveniently attached to the shoe and detached therefrom, and whereby the heel will be held securely against accidental displacement.

T 0 that end the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the heel-fastener shown in place upon the heel-portion of a shoe; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a rubber heel and its fastener on line mm of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line y 1 of Fig. 1; F ig. 5 is a perspective View of the rubber heel alone; Fig. 6 is a similar view, but with the heeldistorted and stretched by a pull upon one of its front corners; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rubber heel and heel fastener in place upon a shoe, one corner of the rubber heel being shown pulled out.

in the process of attachment or detachment; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the fastener alone.

In the drawings A represents a shoe, B the heel-portion thereof, C my improved heel fastener, and D the rubber heel to be attached to the fastener.

The heel fastener consists of a continuous metal plate 2 having upon its under side a stirrup shaped rim 4 which terminates in a knife edge 5. Through the plate and rim are holes6 to receive nails 10 by which the fastening device may be secured upon the heel-portion ofthe shoe, as best shown in Fig. 4:. The plate extends entirely across the rim, Within the outline of which it is imperforate and formed in its under face with a central concavity or depression 3, which will be practically sealed to the entrance of air when the rubber heel is put in place as hereinafter described.

The plate 2 is formed with a rearwardly and State of under them.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911. Serial No. 608,177.

projecting oval flange 7, which follows in a general way the contour of the rear side of the heel and extends Well back from the rim 4. The front edge of the plate, .at its mid d le point, is substantially flush with the mm at, but at each of its front cornei's the plate is formed with a horizontal flange 8 which projects laterally beyond the side of the rim and forwardly beyond the front thereof, as best shown in Fig. 2, so as to afford an anchorage for the side and front portions of the rubber heel D. The rim 1 serves to hold the flanges 7 and 8 a sufficient distance above the heel portion of the shoe to allow the rubber heel to be sprung in The rubber heel D is formed in its upper face with a central hole or socket 9 just large enough to receive the rim .4 of the fastener, while at the base of the hole it is formed with horizontal recesses at the rear and each of the front corners, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that the contour of the recesses will correspond with the contour of the flanges 7 and 8 of the fas tener plate 2. Thus when the rubber heel is in place, as shown in Fig. 3, the rubber will fill the space around the rim 4 between the shoe-heel B and the flanges 7 and 8, and be securely held in place by the flanges.

To adjust the heel fastener upon the shoeheel, the rubber heel is first fitted overthe fastener and arranged in proper position upon the heel-portion B, as shown in Fig. 3.

A blow upon the bottom of the rubber heel I will drive the knife edge 5 slightly into the heel-portion and thus mark thereon the outline of the rim. The rubber heel is then removed from the fastener, and the fastener nailed or otherwise secured upon the heelportion in the position thus outlined. The rubber heel is first drawn over the rear flange 7, as shown in Fig. 4, and then its frontcorners are pulled and stretched, one at a time, until they can be sprung over the corner flanges 8.

In Fig. 7 the rubber heel is shown drawn over the rear flange 7 and over one of the corner flanges 8, while its free corner is being pulled out to be sprung over the other corner flange .8. Similarly in detaching the I rubber heel, the first step is to seize one of its front corners as shown in Fig. 7,'and stretch it out until it can be pulled over the corner flange which holds it; the next step is to pull the other corner off the opposite corner flange of the fastener. When this has been done the whole heel can be drawn back untll it is free from the rear flange 7. The rear flange 7 is of such len th that the rubber heel cannot be remove from it until the front corners have been first released, as described. This is one of the important features of the present invention, because the accidental knocks and pulls to which the rubber heel is subjected in ordinary use are usually exerted upon the rear and not upon the front, and displacement from the rear is here made impossible. It is also easier for the wbarer to remove the heel and replace it by operating from the front, instead of from the back, of the heel. By having the flanges 8 only at the corner, and not extending all across the front of the heel, I avoid weakening the rubber and obtain the full benefit of its elasticity when the corner is lifted, and the lateral projection of the coru'er flanges 8 will prevent the rubber heel from accidentally working off at the sides. The depression 3 in the top of the fastening device will act. as a partial vacuum still further to hold the rubber heel upon the fastening plate, and by making'the rear portion of the rim and the rear flange 7 of oval shape so as to follow in a general way the contour of the heel-portion, I leave as much rubber as possible at the sides so as to avoid weakening itat this point.

The term shoe as used in the claims is meant to include boots, slippers and any other sort of foot-wear to which theinvention is applicable.

I claim as my invention: 1. In combination, a metal plate adapted to be permanently secured to the heel portion of a shoe and having upon its upper side arim adapted to abut against said heel portion and hold the plate spaced therefrom, said plate being formed with a horizontal flange at its rear, and with horizontal flanges at each of its front corners, said corner flanges being spaced apart from each other and extending forwardly beyond the rim, and the front edge of the plate between said corner flanges standing flush with the rim, and a rubber heel adapted to be fitted over the flangesof the plate, said rubber heel being formed with a socket adapted to fit snugly over the rim and at the base of the socket with horizontal recesses adapted to receive the rear flange tending forwardly. and laterally beyond the rim, and a rubber heel formed with a socket adapted to fit over the rim, and also formed at the base of the socket with horizontal recesses corresponding in outline and position with the rear and corner flangesof the plate, the rear flange .bein of such length that the heel must be release from the corner flanges Before it can be released from the rear am e 371i rubber heel and its fastening means comprising a metal plate adapted to be permanently secured upon the heel port on of a shoe and having upon its shoe-abutting side a stirrup shaped rim apart from the shoe, said plate being formed at the rear with a rearwardly extending flange and at each of. its front corners with a flange extending forwardly and laterally beyond the rim, the front edge of the plate between said corner flanges standing flush w1th the rim, and a rubber heel formed with a central socket adapted to fit over the rim, and also formed at. the base of the socket with horizontal recesses adapted to receive the rear and corner flanges of the plate, the rear flange being of such length that the heel mustbe released from the corner flanges before it can be released from the rear flange.

4. A rubber heel. and its fastening means comprising a metal plate adapted tobe permanently secured upon the heel portion of a shoe and having a rim uponits shoe-abutting side formed with a knife edge whereby its outline can be impressed upon the shoe, said plate being formed at the rear wlth a horizontal flange and at each of its front corners with a corner flange extending forwardly beyond the rim, and a rubber heel formed with a central socket to receive the rim, and at the base of socket with horizontal recesses adapted to receive the anges of the plate.

5. In combination, a continuous metal plate adapted to be permanently secured upon the heel portion of a shoe and having uponits'upper side a rim adapted to abut against the heel portion and hold the plate spaced therefrom, the portion of the plate within the rim being imperforate but formed inits under face with a central depression for the purpose set forth,.said plate being formed with flanges at its rear and at each of its frontcorners, and a rubber heel formed with a central socket to receive the rim,-and formed at the base of the socket with horizontal recesses adapted to receive the flanges of the plate. A a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS A. NOLAN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR P. LOTHROP, H. SMITH.

to hold the plate spaced 

